Aya

Written by: Margeurite Abouet and Clement Oubrerie

First line: 1978 was the year that Ivory Coast, my beautiful country, got to see it first television ad campaign.

Why you should read this book: Aya, the titular character (although not necessarily the main one: she introduces the story and observes the behavior of others without being affected by it too often) is a sensible girl who forgoes partying in favor of studying, dreams of becoming a doctor, and whose primary interaction with boys involves finding ways to escape street harassment. Her two best friends, Bintou and Adjoua love but don't understand her: Bintou cares for nothing but going out dancing, and Adjoua, whose motivations don't become clear until the end of the story, is primarily concerned with marrying well. This is a true YA work, one which speaks to the going concerns of a wide range of adolescents, but it's also a sort of a mystery (in the sense the Jane Austen's Emma is a mystery until you unravel who did what, where, with whom), which keeps the pace lively and the reader moving forward.

Why you shouldn't read this book: You don't have time for literature; you're studying for the MCATS.